disappeared
by bbqsaucelover
Summary: Vaklyrie Cain has gone missing and Skulduggery enlists the help of Tanith Low to help him find her. Tanith Skulduggery because I absolutely LOVE that pairing! XD
1. chapter 1

**I got really mad that there weren't any other Tanuggery stories, so I decided to do my own. Viola, here it is. Please Please review and I hope you enjoy the story featuring a very strange pairing, Tanith and Skulduggery! **

A well-dressed skeleton stepped out of the shadows and made his way to the woman waiting at the end of the alley. The woman heard him approach and she turned, a warm smile on her face.  
"Hello, Miss Low," the skeleton said, bowing grandly.  
"Hello, Mr. Pleasant," the woman replied, and she curtsied.  
Skulduggery seemed to grin (but it was hard to tell because of his skull's natural face structure) and straightened up. "Good to see you again, Tanith. How have you been?"  
Tanith shrugged. "Busy. There's been a lot of disappearances lately, but not in one specific area. It's really unnerving." She shot a glance at Skulduggery when he didn't respond and reached up to touch his face gently. "You all right? You look older than usual."  
"Excuse me? Would you please say that again? I don't think I heard you correctly the first time. How in the world can a skeleton look old?"  
Tanith laughed and Skulduggery felt a wave of content wash over him. Her laugh put him in mind of bells-clear and lovely. It was the most beautiful laugh he had ever heard. She removed her hand from his face, but it was still warm where she had touched him. Skulduggery's face had never felt that warm in years. It felt quite good, even if it only lasted for a second.  
"Yes, Skulduggery. I called you old." Tanith said, a teasing grin on her face. "Get used to it. You are getting old, even if you're a skeleton. Don't ask why." Her face sobered and she leaned closer to him. "Now down to business. You sent for me because of Valkyrie. She went missing?"  
"Yes. Four days ago."  
Tanith's eyes widened. "Four days ago? Why didn't you send for me four days ago? Why now?"  
Skulduggery held his hands up in surrender. "I thought it was a cruel joke. I thought maybe one of the  
criminals had her."  
"And?"  
Skulduggery shook his head. "They didn't have her."  
Tanith rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Did she leave anything behind or did she just, just, disappear without a trace?"  
"She disappeared without a trace."  
"How and when did you notice that she was gone?"  
Skulduggery sighed and tipped his hat further down his face. "Look, can we talk somewhere more a bit more… Private, perhaps?"  
Tanith arched an eyebrow in amusement and gestured at the empty alley. "This isn't private enough for  
you?"  
"It feels like someone's listening," Skulduggery muttered.  
Tanith frowned and looked around. "Really? It seems empty to m-"  
Something in the shadows moved. It darted out from behind a trashcan and made a run for the end of  
the alley, for the open street. Skulduggery turned and darted after it with Tanith close behind. She drew  
open her long coat and touched the hilt of her sword, ready to unsheathe it if necessary.  
Despite the agility of its pursuers, the shadow was well ahead. Upon reaching the street, it skidded to a helt and turned sharply to the right. Tanith and Skulduggery followed, but when they turned the corner, there was no one in sight. 


	2. Chapter 2

"Dammit, they got away!" Tanith growled. She sulked and pushed a strand of hair away from her face.  
Skulduggery didn't reply. He bent over and picked something off the ground. Tanith squinted in the gloom and leaned toward Skulduggery to see what it was. He was holding a black piece of cloth that had a silver scythe embossed onto its surface. Something clicked in the back of Tanith's brain. She had seen that symbol before. She didn't know where, she didn't know when, but she knew she'd seen it.  
"I thought I'd dealt with him already." Skulduggery mumbled, agitated.  
"Who?" Tanith asked, inspecting the symbol closely.  
"The Shadow. He was on the loose for years. I only recently managed to catch him and put him in jail. He must've escaped, somehow. He leaves this mark when he has his sights set on a victim."  
Tanith's eyes widened. "Are you sure it's not someone else copying him?"  
"Quite. He's respected enough that no one would dare. Besides, this has his magical signature on it."  
Tanith frowned. "Do you think his victim could be Valkyrie?"  
"That's what I'm afraid of," Skulduggery replied.  
He turned and started back down the alley, taking long, even strides. He had no muscles to tire, and he was fast. Tanith hurried after him.  
By the time she had caught up, she was huffing and out of breath. Skulduggery shot her a glance and took her arm with his free hand.  
"Do you want me to carry you?" he offered, a hint of laughter in his voice.  
Tanith glared at him. "I think I can manage."  
Skulduggery shrugged. "If you say so. See if you can keep up."  
"Where are we going?"  
"My Bentley. We're going to China's apartment."  
He started sprinting. It caught Tanith off guard and she stood stock still for a few minutes before she quickly looked around. There was a closed trash bin against the wall of the alley not far from her. Tanith smiled and nodded to herself. She started for the trash bin and flipped, then pushed up when her hands touched it. She landed on the roof, already running in the direction that Skulduggery was headed.  
Skulduggery was already getting into his Bentley. Tanith increased her speed and jumped off the roof, intending to land on his Bentley. She had misjudged the distance and instead landed on the ground rather painfully. She curled herself up into a ball and rolled to the passenger side, then opened the door and went in. Skulduggery started the car and it shot forward, the streets on either side passing in a blur. 

Tanith held her hand up for inspection and winced as a sharp pain tore through it. She shook her head, mournfully scolding herself for her idiocy. If she had been on the run from an enemy, she'd be dead by now.

"You all right?" Skulduggery asked.

She nodded and grinned at him, trying to ignore the pain. "Yeah. I guess I'm getting old too."

He laughed. "Let me look at your hand."

Tanith edged away, cradling her hand against her chest. "No. Drive. I'm worried enough that we'll crash as it is."

"You can trust me," Skulduggery replied.

Tanith let him take her hand gently in his. She felt oddly at ease.

She didn't know why.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, feel free to leave any criticisms, comments, suggestions, and stuff like that in the reviews as long as they are worded nicely. I know that it isn't very exciting so far but it will get exciting very soon. I pinky swear. ;) Thanks and enjoy! **

Skulduggery rapped on the door of China's apartment. There were a few minutes of silence before footsteps approached. The door swung open to reveal a harried China, who was struggling to do her hair while putting on a necklace at the same time.

"Oh, Skulduggery and Tanith. What a surprise. Do come in." China said, beaming at them and ushering them in.

They stepped inside and China closed the door behind them. She finished doing her hair and fastened her necklace, then turned and headed to the kitchen. "I still have dinner left out on table. Would you like some?" She called.

The sound of clanking plates and running water floated from the kitchen to the living room.

"No, thanks. We will be going shortly. We just wanted to see if you had any books on the Shadow. I was also wondering if you had any herbs. Tanith hurt her hand." Skulduggery said.

Tanith glared at him. "I told you that I'm fine." She hissed.

Skulduggery seemed to grin. "That's why you let me hold your hand the whole way?"

Tanith blushed and looked away with a little hmph. China stuck her head around the corner and regarded Skulduggery with a worried expression. She was wearing yellow gloves and holding a plate in her hands. "Yes. I do have some herbs for you. Did I hear you correctly? You said something about the Shadow?"

Skulduggery nodded solemnly. "Yes. We believe that he kidnapped Valkyrie."

China dropped the plate. It clattered to the floor and broke to pieces. "What?"

"We believe that Shadow-"

China stooped and picked up the pieces, then disappeared around the corner again. "Yes, I know. I thought that you put him in jail."

Skulduggery shrugged. "I thought so too. We'll discuss it later. Right now, we need the herbs for Tanith."

"Ok. Ok." China came out of the kitchen and handed Tanith a greenish-grayish leaf. "Put it in your mouth and chew."

Tanith arched an eyebrow but took it without saying anything. She did what China told her, trying not to cringe from the sour taste. At last, she swallowed it with tears in her eyes, but the pain in her hand was already fading away. China smiled at her in amusement and pulled out a book from her apron, handing it to Skulduggery.

"This should do the trick." She said.

Skulduggery took it and flipped through the pages before nodding in satisfaction. "Thanks, China."

She flashed him a killer smile. "Of course. Anything to help out an old friend." She glanced at Tanith before she looked back at Skulduggery again. "You can stay here for the night if you wish. Gather information among other stuff." China glanced at Tanith again, and Tanith shot her a confused look.

"That's a good idea." He turned to Tanith. "I'll be in the study if you need me."

Tanith nodded and shot China a long look. "I'll help China out in the kitchen."

"I think that you should rest your hand, dear. Wait until it heals up some. But thank you for the offer." China replied. She turned and headed back, leaving a speechless Tanith.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, thanks for all the reviews. You don't know how much it means to me. Keep reviewing, please, and I hope you enjoy the story. I leave you with a note of wisdom: falling in love is like peeing your pants. Everyone can see it but only you can feel the warmth. **

"How's the research going?" A soft voice asked from behind Skulduggery.

He turned and saw Tanith walking toward him, holding a mug of hot chocolate with both hands. She stopped beside him and peered over his shoulder at the book on the table, turned to the page that contained the personality of Shadow.

"Mmm. I learned nothing so far. We might have to go to China's library tomorrow to gather more information. But get this: the Shadow used to be human. A messed-up and disturbed human." Skulduggery told her.

Tanith shrugged and took a sip of her hot chocolate. "So?"

"I'm starting to think that the Shadow isn't evil. It's just scared and confused."

Tanith patted his shoulder and nodded, but Skulduggery could see the disbelief on her face. "Come on, Skulduggery. You need to rest. It's almost midnight. Lots to do tomorrow." He opened his mouth to protest but Tanith cut him off. "I know you're a skeleton, but skeletons need rest too. You don't want to get tired in the middle of fighting the Shadow, do you?"

He sighed and closed the book, then turned off the light. "All right. Where am I sleeping?"

"I think in the guest room. I'm sleeping on the couch."

Skulduggery got up but stumbled as the world suddenly started spinning around him. Tanith caught his arm and led him to the guest bedroom. She set him down on the bed, took off his shoes, coat, and hat, and placed them on a rack that was standing near the door.

"Acting like an old grandma now, aren't you?" Skulduggery teased.

Tanith lightly punched him on the arm. "You always talk too much."

"Talking is good…it expresses your feelings and let's them out in a healthy way."

Tanith arched an eyebrow and Skulduggery realized that he had said too much. He quickly lied down on the bed and pulled the covers over his head, pretending to go to sleep with enthusiasm. Tanith uttered her twinkling laugh that Skulduggery loved to hear, and he held his breath until her footsteps faded away. Skulduggery sighed and stared into the blackness of his covers. He was the famous detective, fearless, brave, and witty. Yet he couldn't tell Tanith about his feelings for her. Was it really that hard to say three words? Three simple and little words?

That night, Skulduggery had a nightmare.

_He was lying on his belly above a pit of lava, desperately trying to hold on to Tanith's sweaty hand as she dangled just a few feet from the hissing lava. Valkyrie was pulling at his legs, trying to keep them both from falling into the lava. Shadow was laughing evilly behind them, his hair crackling and leaping with fire. A trap door opened, and a beautiful woman stepped out. She had black hair that was down to her shoulders, complete with pale skin and cold blue eyes. She looked human and there was nothing odd or significant about her. Shadow froze when he saw her and stopped laughing. He turned to run, but the woman uttered coldly, "Stop. You were always a coward, running away from things in your life that were hurting you. Time to toughen up and be a man." _

_Shadow turned back and screamed, "No! You're not going to hurt me anymore, mother!" _


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, I'm so excited for CSAPS! It's technically no school. BOO-YAH! Anyway, thanks for reviewing. Enjoy! **

Tanith sat at the table, twirling her hair between her fingers. She was getting frustrated. She had spent all morning searching for books on the Shadow, but so far she was unsuccessful. Skulduggery sat across from her with his nose buried in a book that he had recently found. China was sitting at her desk, pretending to read a book. She looked up occasionally at the door to see who was entering and leaving. She, Tanith, and Skulduggery had decided that if anyone looked suspicious, they would raise the alarm. So far, all was well. People trickled in, strolling lazily among the rows of books, settling in a cushion, or just sitting at the tables, staring into space. It was a typical morning.

Skulduggery gave a low whistle of surprise and tipped back his chair, dwindling his fingers thoughtfully.

"What?" Tanith asked, leaning towards him. "Did you find out anything?"

"You bet I did. It's just not what I expected." Skulduggery replied mysteriously.

"Well?" Tanith asked impatiently.

Skulduggery 's chair thudded to the ground again and he put his hands flat on the table, his voice a low whisper, "My theory was right. Shadow is a disturbed child. He used to be human, until his mother and Sanguine breeded. Sanguine's blood intruded into her womb and made him supernatural. Shadow and his mother never got along. One day, Shadow ran away and disappeared. Nobody knew where he went, until I caught him."

It took Tanith a minute to absorb this. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked calmly at Skulduggery, even though her nerves were bouncing all over the place. "Ok. Two questions. Who was his mother, and how is this related to Valkyrie?"

"Apparently, Shadow fell in love with Valkyrie. But his mother would not allow it. That was part of the reason he ran away. I'm thinking that he still has feelings for her, and that's why he kidnapped her."

Tanith nodded. "That makes sense. I don't remember when he could have possibly met her, though. Unless he was stalking her. What about my second question?"

"China is his mother."

Tanith's jaw fell open and she starred at Skulduggery incredulously. "You're not lying, are you? China...China would never go with Sanguine."

"Does it look like I'm lying to you? I don't know the reason why China decided to do what she did with Sanguine, but she did. Shadow is her son."

Tanith shook her head, refusing to believe what she was hearing. She was about to get up when the table flew away, throwing Skulduggery's book to the floor and tripping Tanith. Skulduggery helped her up and she caught sight of China. She was standing on top of her desk, one hand laid flat on her stomach and the other flicking toward the direction of the door. A man was standing there. A man who was dressed like a ninja. He had one hand on his sword and the other on his throwing star. A twisted smirk was plastered on his face. Tanith's eyes fell to the symbol carved on the left side of his shirt. It was a scythe. A silver scythe. Shadow.

"Everyone evacuate! Now! This is only between him and me! I don't want any of you to get caught in the crossfire!" China roared as she sent another piece of furniture hurtling toward him.

The remaining stragglers hurried out of the library. Shadow stepped aside and let them pass, then whipped out his sword and sliced through the piece of furniture that China hurtled at him.

"Mother. Long time no see. It's been a while." Shadow crooned, his voice as smooth as silk.

"Yes, son. It's been a while. Now get out of my library!"

Tanith started toward China but Skulduggery yanked her arm and pulled her back. Shadow's eyes flickered to her and he grinned, showing a rotting mouth contrasting against a black hole.

"I see you have company. All the better."

He held his hand up and thrust it at Tanith. She flew backward and slammed her head against the wall, crumpling in a heap on the floor. She tried to stand up but couldn't. Something was holding her down.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, thanks for reviewing. Enjoy. That's all I have to say. **

Skulduggery stepped in front of Tanith and snapped his fingers, conjuring a spark in his hand. "It's not polite to hit ladies, Shadow. I suggest that you peacefully come with me back from where you came from. I don't want any trouble."

Tanith knew that Skulduggery was trying to keep his voice calm, but she could hear the slight strain in it. He was afraid. Shadow laughed, tossing his head back and raising his chin up in the air, as if Skulduggery had uttered an inside joke between friends instead of a threat.

"You amuse me, Skulduggery. Do you remember how much effort it took you last time to put me in jail? I know your weakness, and I can kill her right now if you don't cooperate." Shadow sneered.

Skulduggery stiffened as Shadow's eyes momentarily fell on Tanith, then looked back at him again. Tanith's eyes widened and she couldn't breathe. Skulduggery had a weakness. His weakness was...her.

"Shadow, why can't you act peacefully for once? You don't have to always use force and violence to get what you want." China scolded, climbing to the floor.

Shadow's face twisted in anger, ruining his fine features. He had his mother's eyes and hair, but his father's skin color and personality were clearly embedded in him too.

"Shut up, mother. You're not the boss of me anymore. I can do whatever I wish. Like this." He grinned evilly and thrust his hand toward Skulduggery.

The spark in Skulduggery's hand roared into flame just in time and he hurtled the fireball at Shadow. It collided with an unseen force in midair and bounced back, heading straight for Tanith. Skulduggery quickly pushed both hands out in front of him and a burst of air diminished the fireball into a little pile of hot ash.

Before Skulduggery could summon another flame, Shadow thrust his hand at him again. Skulduggery braced himself but was blown off his feet. He slammed into the wall and crumpled on the ground, his hat wobbling sideways on his head. Tanith tried to reach for her sword, but she was still frozen. She gave a scream of frustration and glared at Shadow, intense hate boiling up inside of her chest. Skulduggery slumped against the wall, beat. He knew that Shadow was more powerful than both of them. China was the only person that might know Shadow's weakness. It was all up to her now. He couldn't move and even if some miracle happened that enabled him to move again, he couldn't risk Tanith getting hurt.

"You have no respect for your elders, Shadow. I will always be the boss of you, because I am your mother." China said while she laid her hand flat on her belly again, getting ready to throw another piece of furniture at him.

"Your rules are unfair and cruel! Unfair and cruel! I love Valkyrie, mother! Why can't you understand that? I _**LOVE**_ her!" Shadow screamed at her.

"You are evil." China replied impatiently. "She is good. Evil never goes with good. It just doesn't work out."

"Fine." Shadow sniffed. He turned toward Tanith, malice in his eyes. "I'll just have to hurt Tanith then."

He raised a hand at Tanith and snapped his fingers. A small black ball of energy appeared above his palm and grew steadily in size. Shadow waited until it was as big as a bowling ball before he drew his arm back and threw it at her. Skulduggery tried to move in front of her, but of course he couldn't. Tanith closed her eyes and braced for the pain, telling herself over and over that she would die a heroic death. But the pain never came. Tanith waited for a few minutes before she opened her eyes again and gasped when she caught sight of China, who was lying on the floor in front of her.

China was staring blankly up at the ceiling, her breath coming out with difficulty. Tanith finally realized what she had done. China had taken the blow for her. The floor around her was black and there was a gaping hole in China's chest, where blood streamed out continuously in a blood-red river and settled in a pool around her.

"You killed your mother!" Tanith screamed at Shadow in anger.

Shadow's eyes widened in horror and he turned and ran out of the library, never looking back once.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, sorry this took a while to write. I swear that my computer is turning racist against me. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoy the story. (Because I had to type it up, twice. Not fun.)**

Tanith found that she could move again and stood up. Immediately, a flash of light erupted before her eyes and she had to lean against the wall for support. Skulduggery rose from beside her and held on to her arm while helping her make her way to China. Tanith knelt down next to China and opened her mouth to say something, but for the first time in her life, she was speechless. Skulduggery was rifling through his pocket, looking for something. His back was turned to them, so Tanith couldn't see his face.

China's eyes slowly fixed on her and she held up a hand, waiting for Tanith to take it. Tanith bit her lip but took it and held it tightly. It was cold. Ice-cold.

"Tanith. I need you to do me a favor." China said, her voice no more than a whisper.

Tanith managed to smile mockingly. "China? Asking me for a favor? Unheard of." She replied.

China glared at her. "Stupid girl. This is no joke. I realize that I have used people in the past to do my dirty work, but I'm dying so I need your help. Suck it up, girl."

Tanith's face sobered. "I'm listening."

"Shadow...my son. Track him down and get him to a counselor or something. Don't arrest him. He would hate that. He's just confused and hurt. Counseling, that's all he needs. He has done no crimes. The girl...he murdered. She committed suicide. There was no murderer. Don't believe all that the skeleton tells you. Sometimes, he tells lies."

"Don't listen to her, Tanith." Skulduggery interrupted without turning around. "She's very manipulative. Shadow is a murderer. That's why he went to jail. He deserves to go back to jail."

Tanith had forgotten how cold Skulduggery could be to people he wasn't fond of.

"Lies! All lies!" China yelled at him, which caused her to cough as blood started trickling down her lips.

"It's all right, China. Don't get angry. It isn't good for your complexion." Tanith reassured her. Then she turned and glared at Skulduggery's back. "She's dying, Skulduggery. Have a heart."

He didn't reply.

"Track my boy down. Take him to counseling." China repeated, her eyes starting to glaze over.

Tanith nodded. "Yes. I know. We will."

"Pocket. Look in my pocket. All the information is there."

"Ok."

China sighed and focused on a spot on the ceiling, her eyes a million miles away. She sucked in one last breath before she went still and her hand went limp. Tanith tenderly set China's hand down at her side and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a crumpled piece of brown paper and unfolded it. A glance told her that this was a birth certificate. More specifically, Shadow's birth certificate.

Tanith slowly stood up and walked to Skulduggery's side. He was starring ahead of him and made no indication that he knew she was there. Her eyes fell on his hand. There was a beautiful stone in his hand. It was purple and black, studded with diamonds that rimmed the perimeter of its oval shape. Tanith could tell that it was valuable and could be sold for a huge amount of money.

"Skulduggery? What's that stone in your hand?" Tanith asked tentatively, not wanting to jerk him rudely out of whatever world he was in.

Skulduggery didn't answer for a few minutes. Tanith was about to ask again when Skulduggery replied in a gruff voice, "It's the only way we can stop Shadow. I took it from his soul the day I caught him. It's how we're going to administer justice."

Tanith crossed her arms. "No, Skulduggery. I promised China that I would get her son to a counselor. I'm not about to break it. Something bad may happen to me. And how did you take that from his soul?"

"I'll explain later. Right now we need to start tracking Shadow. What's that in your hand?"

Tanith handed it to him. "A birth certificate. Where are we going to start tracking?"

Skulduggery skimmed through the certificate for a moment before he held it out to her, his boney finger pointing to a line of fine print at the bottom of the page. "His home town. In South Carolina."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, I'm not feeling very well today so forgive me if some parts doesn't make sense or is very confusing. I finally managed to start posting again, thanks to Mademise Morte. A big thanks to you for making this story happen. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and thank y'all for reviewing! **

Skulduggery came back from the restroom, looking quite pleased with himself. He took a seat next to Tanith, who was lounging on a bean bag near the teen section of the library. She looked up from her book and shot him a questioning glance, her eyes fixed on the beautiful stone that he held in his hand.

"So?" She asked, a hint of impatience in her voice.

Skulduggery pocketed the stone and casually picked out a book from the shelve to read. "I contacted him. He's going to arrive here soon. We'll have to set out at nightfall, since the trip from Australia to here will sap all his energy."

"OK. How did he react to the news that Valkyrie was kidnapped?"

"I didn't tell him yet."

Tanith dropped her book in surprise and clumsily picked it up again, her face turning slightly red. "What?"

"I just said that there was an emergency here that we needed him for. If I told him that his girlfriend was kidnapped, he would want revenge. We can't have that."

Tanith sniffed, hating what he said but knowing that he was right. She starred down at her book for a few minutes before a couple of questions popped into her head. "Where are we going to stay after Fletcher gets here? And how are we going to figure out how to start tracking Shadow? There must be a thousand houses in South Carolina...And you better tell me about that stone when we get to our destination."

Skulduggery flipped through the pages of his book and tipped his hat down. "We're going to stay in China's apartment. She won't mind. And of course I'll tell you about the stone when we get there. Just be patient for now. Don't worry, we'll improvise as we go. Now relax until Fletcher gets here. There's no need to get worked up over nothing."

Tanith held her tongue as she was about to argue. She hated using China's apartment as a shelter when she hadn't given them permission, but desperate times called for desperate measures. This was one of those times.

_10 minutes later..._

Tanith blearily opened her eyes and stretched. The book that she had grabbed had been boring but strangely comforting. Those types of books always made her fall asleep within minutes. She glanced at the clock and yawned. It was only 12:00. She had fallen asleep for 10 minutes.

"You're finally awake, Sleeping Beauty?" Skulduggery asked from beside her, his voice smug.

Tanith glared up at him when she realized that her head was resting on his shoulder. Her face turned red and she quickly stood up and returned the book to the shelf, hoping that Skulduggery hadn't noticed her burning face.

"Is Fletcher here yet?" She asked gruffly.

"Yes, he's in the bathroom. I don't want to know what he's doing in there. We were just about to head back to China's place. You woke up just in time."

"Fletcher saw me sleeping on your shoulder?" Tanith asked, her stomach sinking.

Fletcher would never let her hear the end of it. He used to have a crush on her, but ever since Valkyrie came into the picture, he had fallen for her. He and Valkyrie were boyfriend and girlfriend, and it made Tanith happy to see them so happy together. Valkyrie really needed to hang out more with people her own age and experience something that normal people experience, or else she might go crazy. Fletcher still teased Tanith about Skulduggery ever since a few years ago, when Tanith had admitted that she might just have feelings for Skulduggery. She was still not sure, and she asked Fletcher to keep it a secret. He had kept his word, but made her life miserable.

"Yes. So?" Skulduggery asked, obviously confused.

"Nothing." Tanith muttered, promising to herself to kill Fletcher as soon as he got out of the restroom.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok, sorry for all the confusion and mess up. This chapter may be boring, sop bear with me. Thanks for reviewing and make sure to review so I can improve my story and make it more enjoyable to read for you and myself. Enjoy! **

Tanith was sitting on China's bed with Fletcher, deep in conversation with him. She could hear Skulduggery clattering around in the kitchen, attempting to find some food that they could eat before they headed out. So far, it sounded like he was failing.

"Tanith, when are you going to admit your feelings for Skulduggery?" Fletcher asked with a touch of exasperation in his voice.

Tanith kept her eyes on the floor and ran her hand absently along the lacy edge of China's pillow. "You mean to him or me?"

Fletcher made a garbled sound at the back of his throat. "What do you think? To yourself of course."

Tanith shook her head, as if to drive Fletcher's words out of her mind. "Please, Fletcher. Can we stop talking about this?"

Fletcher's lip curled defiantly and he got a stubborn look in his eye. "No, Tanith. I will not stop talking about this unless you tell me what's going on. What's holding you back? You've dated before. Sure, Skulduggery's a skeleton but I don't see how that's a problem." He reached for Tanith's hand. She jerked away and glared briefly at him before returning her eyes to the floor again. In that moment, Fletcher could see tears sparkling in her eyes. Speechless, he let the silence stretch between them before Tanith spoke up, her voice a whisper.

"I just...could never have a chance with him. I'm pretty sure that he's still in love with his wife and misses her dearly...I don't want to take away the memory of her."

Fletcher ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Tanith, don't worry about that. He will never lose the memory of her. You can't really get over someone you love dearly. I'm pretty sure that Skulduggery's wife would have wanted him to move on and find new love, though. As for Skulduggery himself I've seen proof that he has feelings for you."

Tanith managed to laugh, but it sounded strained. "Spoken like a true wise man."

Fletcher grinned. "That's because I was born as one."

Tanith raised her eyebrow at him. "No, you were born as a teleporter."

Fletcher held up his hands in surrender. "Ok, ok. You win. Don't think that I don't know what you're doing. You've avoiding the subject again."

Tanith punched him in the arm. "There's no proof that Skulduggery has feelings for me."

Fletcher nodded eagerly and smiled slyly. "Oh, yes there is."

Tanith rolled her eyes and got up to go. "Whatever. I'm going to help him out in the kitchen. It sounds like something's dying in there."

Fletcher's face sobered again. "Remember what I said, Tanith. Take a chance."

Tanith felt tears spring to her eyes. She turned and quickly wiped them away, feelings like a hormonal teenager instead of a mature adult. "When did you become so mature and me so hormonal?" Tanith joked, attempting to change the subject again.

Fletcher didn't laugh. "Ever since you got tortured and I found Valkyrie."

Tanith sniffled and shook her head. She was ready to walk out of the room and leave this embarrassing and personal subject behind when she saw Skulduggery leaning against the door frame, looking quite haggard. Her jaw drooped and when she tried to form words, nothing but gibberish came out.

Skulduggery nodded as if he knew what she was about to ask. "I heard everything."


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey hey hey! I'm kind of stuck on writer's block (why does this always happen to me and no one else? God!) And I need your help. So if you could suggest some ideas, that'll be great! I'll definitely give credit for your ideas, since I would hate to steal them! Also, this is the time to say if this story is great, bad, or just plain icky! Your opinions and suggestions are welcome. Um, yeah. I'll stop ranting and let you go back to your wonderful lives. Thanks for reviewing, Roseia and Mademise and Valkyrie4ever! A big thanks to fangisfangalicious for my first story alert person thing-ma-jig. (is that how you spell it? The computer says it's wrong. Oh, well.) You guys are awesome! **

**Sincerely, **

**BBQSAUCELOVER **


	11. Chapter 11

**Ok, so I don't have writer's block anymore. Thanks for all the ideas, they were all great and I decided to mix them together into one big old mess. Sorry that this chapter is so short, but I hope you enjoy all the same. **

"I-I-when did you-I thought you were in the kitchen!" Tanith stammered, mortification heating her face.

Skulduggery shrugged and looked slightly embarrassed. "I was, but I thought that I would ask you and Fletcher what you wanted to eat. You know, so you wouldn't complain about the food I brought along the way."

"Hey! I'm not a picky eater!" Fletcher protested, crossing his arms.

Skulduggery ignored him and looked right at Tanith. "Can we talk privately?"

Tanith's eyes widened and she nodded, then immediately regretted it afterward. She had never been in a situation that was this awkward before, and there was no telling how she would act. She was afraid that she might do something stupid and scare him away.

Skulduggery motioned for her to follow him to the living room. Tanith shot a glare at Fletcher, who grinned and waddled his fingers at her, before she started walking after Skulduggery. After a few seconds of uneasy silence, Skulduggery turned back to say something to her when a piece of paper fell out of his pocket. He reached for it, but Tanith was faster. She grabbed it and handed it to him when something caught her eye. The woman in the photograph looked exactly like her except for the hair, which curled around the woman's shoulder softly, framing her beautiful face perfectly. Underneath the photograph were the words, "Skulduggery's wife, deceased."

Tanith slowly looked up at Skulduggery, feelings tears well up in her eyes as her heart sank to her stomach. She swallowed the lump in her throat and had to wait a few minutes before she could speak to make sure that her voice wouldn't crack with emotion. Skulduggery was regarding her impassively, his empty eye sockets seeming to contain unspoken sadness and pain. Tanith shook her head, driving the insane thoughts out of her mind. He was a skeleton. _A skeleton! _He couldn't express any emotion on his face because it was made out of bone.

"Your wife is quite beautiful, Skulduggery. We look exactly alike. Is this why you seem to have an interest in me? Tell me if I'm wrong. Maybe I was just imagining things. Or did you lead me here to tell me straight out that you don't love me back? Go on, say it. I'm a big girl. I can handle it." Her voice wavered and she took a deep breath before continuing. "Come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough."

"Tanith, I-" Skulduggery started, but he never got to finish his sentence.

At that moment, the door flew open and crashed onto the ground. Tanith drew her sword out of her sheath and Skulduggery whipped his pistol out of its case. Together, they faced the door, where a very smug Sanguine was standing with Dusk and Spring-heeled Jack on either side of him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, it's been a while since I updated, so please forgive me. I'm feeling very angsty today (is that a word? The computer says no) so this chapter is not for weak stomachs. Just kidding. I'm exaggerating. Anyways, thanks for reviewing and enjoy! BBQSAUCELOVER out *WHOOSH**

"Sanguine, it's nice to see you again. How have you been?" Skulduggery asked, breaking the icy silence that had settled over the room.

Sanguine stepped inside the room and grinned, tipping his hat at Skulduggery. "It's actually been pretty good. We found you, you have no escape, Shadow killed China. This is the best day of my life. How have you been, detective?"

Skulduggery barked out a laugh and placed his finger on the trigger. "You always assume things too quickly, Sanguine."

Sanguine pouted and placed his hands on his hips. "You have no manners. Oh, well. I'm ending this in 5 minutes anyway. I have somewhere better to be. Give us the teleporter boy."

Tanith leveled her sword in front of her and stepped slightly closer to Skulduggery to back him up in case Sanguine decided to attack.

"You can't have him. What are you doing here anyway? And how do you know about Shadow?" She snarled.

Sanguine smirked and drew his razor from his coat. "A lot more than you know. I'm bored of talking now. Let's get some action here."

He charged at Skulduggery. Tanith moved to intercept him, but Dusk sank into the ground and popped up in front of her with one hand raised, ready to strike. Tanith blocked the blow and swiped at him with her sword, but she was too slow. Dusk sank into the ground again and appeared behind her. He clasped his hands together and brought them down hard on her head, causing Tanith to stagger and drop her sword. She cursed and stooped to retrieve it, but Jack darted forward into the fray and took it out of her reach.

Skulduggery was going hand to hand with Sanguine, whose razor was a blur as he swiped it again and again at Skulduggery. Tanith noticed that Skulduggery's movements were becoming more desperate and she knew that they were outmatched. She had to get Fletcher to teleport them out of here. She turned around just as Dusk was about to punch her and socked him in the stomach. He grunted and sank into the wall. Jack hollered and tried to come at her with her sword, but she easily ripped it out of his grip and stabbed him in the eye, sending a spurt of blood rocketing into the air. Jack screeched and backed away, stumbling around the room blindly while clutching his injured eye.

"Fletcher, we need to teleport now!" Tanith roared as she ran to help Skulduggery.

With one easy blow, Sanguine knocked the gun out of Skulduggery's hand and sent him crashing to the ground. Tanith stepped in front of him and flicked upwards, nicking Sanguine in the arm. He roared in anger and charged at her. She leapt up into the air and brought her foot crashing down into his back with so much force that he crumpled to the ground. She landed and wobbled a little, pain exploding in her ankle.

Skulduggery got up and yanked Sanguine's hands behind his back. Fletcher came running out of the room, reaching both hands out to them, his eyes wide and filled with fear.

"Come on, let's go!" He cried.

Tanith glanced at Skulduggery. He shook his head and said, "You go first!"

"But-"

"NO BUTS! JUST DO IT!"

Tanith staggered back in surprise but quickly regained her wits and ran to Fletcher, gritting her teeth against the pain. Their hands were inches from each other when Dusk's hand shot out of the ground and grabbed Tanith's hurt ankle. He tugged at it and she screamed in pain, falling to the ground, yanking Fletcher down with her. Skulduggery released Sanguine's wrists and picked up his pistol. He ran over to them and fired a few shots at Dusk's hand. Dusk's hand disappeared along with a scream of pain and Skulduggery grabbed Fletcher just as he was about to teleport.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, guys. I'm stuck with writer's block and it doesn't seem to be getting better, so I'll discontinue the story for now. I would appreciate ideas again, and a big thanks to those that helped me last time, but we'll see if another idea comes to me in time or I get inspired again. For right now, I'm taking a break. I'm really sorry, but I want to thank everyone for reviewing. You guys are AWESOME! **

**Sincerely, **

**BBQSAUCELOVER**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, I know I haven't updated in while. Sorry if this chapter is short. My laptop was confiscated and the school computers suck. Fangalicious and DJ, thanks for reviewing. This story is going to be officially dedicated to you guys. So please enjoy! **

Tanith dug her nails into the couch's armrests and gritted her teeth, holding in a scream of pain with difficulty. Skulduggery was kneeling at her feet. He was holding her broken ankle in the air and pushing on the sole of her foot, possibly hoping that the bones would fuse again. Fletcher was in the kitchen, banging his way through cupboards and pots as he searched for food.

"Skulduggery." Tanith said. "It isn't working. Will you stop already? I'm already in a lot of pain. Get Fletcher."

It came out sharper than she had intended. Skulduggery lowered her foot to the floor and tipped his hat.

"As you wish, my lady."

He stood up and headed to the kitchen. Tanith drew in a sharp intake of breath and shifted herself into a upright position. Her eyes fell on a piece of paper that was lying on the floor near her feet. She bent over and picked it up, unfolding it quietly and keeping her eyes glued to the kitchen where Fletcher and Skulduggery seemed to be having an argument. When she made sure that neither of them would come check on her soon, she let her gaze drop and gasped softly. A poem was scrawled on the piece of paper in Skulduggery's handwriting. The poem was addressed to her.

"_Tanith,_

_Roses are red, violets are blue,_

_no matter what happens, I'll never stop loving you. _

_Your smile is heaven, your laugh is pure joy, _

_I can't stand to leave you, _

_or else I may die. _

_You're fierce as a tiger, _

_but gentle as a kitten, _

_I'll always shelter you in my wings,_

_because I love you." _

**Wellllll...what do you think? Please review! **


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